We are excited to announce the launch of PWI 2012! Check out our brand-new, hot-off-the-presses promo video with testimonies from last year’s students:

We are also excited to announce that PWI2012 has a new director! Becky Thurman, who has been an integral part of PWI since 2010 is going to take up the reins this year. She is an administrative creative (rare combination) with a deep passion for life change, empowering, and pouring into others. She is the person I know who is the most excited about PWI! And I am excited about how PWI will be richer and better this year as a result of her leadership. If you have any questions about PWI, email Becky at: pwi@proskuneo.info!

Last, but not least, we are pleased to announce that registration for PWI2012 is now OPEN! Ready, set, register! You don’t want to miss this…

[www.digitaltrekker.com] “Matt Brandon has a special eye for portraits of people set in their natural environment. He speaks English, Urdu and Hindi. Having lived in South Asia for over 13 years, Matt has a cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity. This allows him to effectively work in both his client’s world and the world of the subject he is shooting. He photographs images of the unknown, the forgotten and the helpless. These are often the stories that most people overlook.” I think that is what moves me the most.

[www.help-portrait.com] “In December, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. But, this is about GIVING the pictures, not taking them. These portraits are not for their portfolio, website, or for sale. Money isn’t involved here. This holiday season, photographers have the chance to give a family something they may have never had before—a portrait together.”

[www.visualpeacemakers.org] “Throughout history people have fallen into the trap of making enemies with, demonizing, stereotyping, and fighting the “other.” There has been a flood of conflict based on ethnic, cultural, and religious identity in the post-cold war era that has ended the lives of millions, destroyed economies, and torn apart families. We are visual communicators devoted to peacemaking and breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty and dignity of various cultures around the world.”

How can you use your skills to serve others? [To worship is to serve. See translations of Romans 12:1-2]

How can you use your art to meet needs in our world?

How can you use what God has given you to bring people together?

At PWI there is also a true sense of community. From what I’ve seen people really like to be around one another. I’ve noticed that when people from PWI go somewhere they are usually the last to leave because they are talking to each other.

There is also time and space for God to work on people’s hearts. God is breaking through to students, calling them closer to Him and affirming who He has made them to be. And not only is God working in the students’ hearts but also the teachers’ and volunteers’.

I remarked to someone yesterday that I believe the ministry and teaching at PWI will yield results for years to come. We are grateful for your continued prayers as we seek to train worshipers and artists for the glory of God.

View photos from PWI

The PWI folks do an amazing job of blending musical styles from multiple nationalities into one beautiful presentation. But it’s not just music; it’s painting, drawing, singing, drama, and basically any other creative art form you can think of. It’s eclectic, it’s different, it’s not for the stone of heart, but when it’s put together and performed by men and women so obviously in love with the language and power of art?

It’s magic.

What’s neat about PWI is this workshop they’re conducting runs three full weeks at my church, and then the participants will have the opportunity to take what they’ve learned about songcraft and singing and painting and writing and playing and worship and put it into practice for a week in Costa Rica. And I’m not talking about some in-the-future thing; I’m talking about the week after the last week of class. As in, they get done with instruction on a Saturday and they fly out on Sunday.

That, my friends, is what you call hands-on.

Even if you’re not a church-goer, you can still identify with this statement: most churches do a horrific job of incorporating the creative arts with faith. Even some of the most media savvy churches make use of creative artistry without necessarily promoting it as a part of Christian practice. The artist – in many churches – is persona non grata. Until we need a VBS backdrop or something.

Personally, I know several people who live under the sad conception that art has no place in the world of faith. I also know several people who fully believe that art is something God considers an abomination. Both points of view are wrong. I mean, for heaven’s sake, the first few chapters of the Bible are about God creating the universe from himself, about the power of his words to bring life into existence. Whether you believe that account or not, the metaphorical power of creativity is apparent.

If God is creative, and expresses that creativity through creative acts, then shouldn’t humanity (made in the image of God, according to Genesis) also do the same?

Sadly, because art is subjective and can’t be confined to a guarded little box of rules and regulations, many people would answer that question with a resounding “No.” But PWI is a challenge to that mode of thinking. And to see the young men and women, as well as the older men and women, who are devouring the chance to express their faith through their chosen artistic bent is to see the power of art for the soul.

It’s beautiful to see, beautiful to hear and just as beautiful to be inspired by it all.

If you’d like to read more by Jason Brooks visit his blog here.

Stayed tuned for more updates from PWI!

I don’t think we are often conscious of the one of the most important aspects of worship… the way we live our lives.

There is so much more depth to worship than just singing songs on Sunday morning. It’s our entire lives offered to Him in complete submission. In Romans 12 we are exhorted to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. It then goes on to say that this is our spiritual worship. So worship needs to be more than just songs if we are to follow this verse.

Worship is laying our lives down in complete surrender and acknowledging GOD as Sovereign.  This can be done in any context whether on the way to work or at home with your family.

With this in mind don’t throw out music and song. In fact, the command to sing is found many places throughout the scriptures.

Anything NOT God can be a god to us. It is so easy for me to put things before God whether it is my preferences, my feelings, or even my comfort. All these things can become idols.

I heard a quote once that your priorities reveal what you worship. I find in my own life that is many times the case. So what or who are you worshiping today?

This past week was filled with growing, learning, and stretching. Some students are learning how to play and sing at the same time, others are learning more about leading worship, and still others are learning how to better their photography skills or sign language abilities.

God has been expanding our views of ourselves and of Himself. We have had time and space to seek God and hear what He thinks about us and realize what we believe about ourselves. We had an exercise where we spent twenty minutes in front of a mirror to discover how we actually see ourselves.

We are looking forward to see what God has in store for us this month as we continue to seek Him as a part of this creative community!

I had the privilege of interviewing all the the students during the past 2 weeks. It was great to get to know their hearts better. Our students come from many places across the United State, from Florida to New York. We also have 2 applicants from the country of Honduras.

Some students are coming to PWI to learn more about leading worship in a multicultural context. Some hope to improve their musical abilities whether it be playing an instrument better, or improving their vocal abilities. Some are coming to refine their skill as an artist.

As I think about all the people that the Lord is bringing to PWI this year I am struck with the fact of how multi-talented they are. Many of these students have been gifted with multiple gifts, and we are so excited to see how the Lord is going to bring them all together to edify the Body and bring glory to Himself.